What has become astonishing in the past few days since the Climategate scandal broke is the struggle for damage control by the science pundits for the "establishment" view that humans cause global warming. Whether it is Andrew C. Revkin of the New York Times, George Monbiot of the Guardian or Tom Yulsman of the Center for Environmental Journalism at the University of Colorado, each is incapable of grasping the possibility that there might actually be a question about climate science here.

Their minds are closed to the possibility that man-made CO2 might not be causing climate change. They assume automatically that the "global warming deniers" are wicked types bought off by big pollution, and so they write pieces calling for greater openness. They say they want to refute their opponents' claims by using scientific data because they firmly believe that, of course, they will be proved right.

In fact, they already have announced most confidently that the entire scandal will blow over before long. That's wonderful damage control.